Prayer: Loving God for God
April 16 – May 7, 2023
Our Only Hope For Loving God
May 7, 2023 • Jon Morales • Psalm 63
As our Prayer series concludes, we’ll look at the totality of Psalm 63 and note the not-so-subtle shift in vs. 9–11. For the first eight verses, the focus is firmly on David’s love and admiration for God. But suddenly, his attention turns to those who would be threats to the king. The language change is so abrupt it’s as if these three verses don’t even fit the psalm. Yet, through the contrast these verses provide, we discover our only hope of loving God for God.
C'mon My Soul.
April 30, 2023 • Adam Mashni • Psalm 42
This week we study a psalm that embodies life on the struggle bus. The psalmist longs to be at the Temple praising God as he has done before. But life has him somewhere else, in far more challenging circumstances, and he’s yearning for relief. Yet, we see a beautiful refrain where he turns, pauses, and begins coaching himself in the ways of God. When life gets tough, it can be hard to connect with God. But Psalm 42 provides prayer tools to help us turn our eyes upward when spiraling down.
Training to Love God For God
April 23, 2023 • Jon Morales • Psalm 63
Late in 1965, in Detroit, Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston recorded “It Takes Two,” a song that depicted many things in life (dreams, love, wishes, etc.) being better with two people instead of one. But human relationships require diligent and ongoing work to flourish, and both parties must contribute. Our relationship with God is no different. If we’re going to love God for God, then God must do something, and we must do something. In this week’s message, we’ll discover those two things.
Intimacy with God
April 16, 2023 • Jon Morales • Psalm 63
When David wrote Psalm 63, he did so from an experience of being captivated by God. He is so enamored with who God is and what God does for him that his heart overflows into these eleven verses. But clearly, this is not a normative experience for people of faith. Even though hundreds of millions around the globe attend church each weekend, many do not experience an ongoing deep connection with God. Why is intimacy with God so rare?